Separation chambers for deboning machines

ABSTRACT

Separation chambers, deboning machines, and methods of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, a separation chamber for a compression-type deboning machine includes a body defining an internal cavity therein having a frusto-conical shape. A central longitudinal axis of the body extends from a first opening of the cavity near a first end of the body to a second opening of the cavity near a second end of the body. The first opening is larger than the second opening. The separation chamber also includes a plurality of perforations defined through the body from an inner surface of the body to an outer surface of the body. Each perforation includes a perforation axis extending longitudinally through a center of the perforation. The perforation axes of the plurality of perforations are transverse to a radial axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the body.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/850,443, filed Mar. 26, 2013, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/615,474, now U.S. Pat. No.9,107,426 filed Mar. 26, 2012, all of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to machines for deboning orseparating meats, such as red meat, pork, poultry and fish, from bone,cartilage or sinew, and, more particularly, to perforated separationchambers included in such machines.

BACKGROUND

Conventional deboning machines are represented in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,189,104 and 5,813,909. U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,104 generally relates todeboning machines of the type in which an auger conveys ground meat andbone materials through a perforated conduit from one end thereof whileexerting pressure on said materials to force meat components out of theconduit through the perforations thereof at the same time that bonecomponents are being conveyed to discharge at the other end of theconduit through an adjustable valve ring which surrounds an extension ofthe auger and is adapted to control pressure within the conduit. Thevalve ring includes an internal, circumferential series of indentationsconfronting the auger extension and extends axially so as to be open todischarge for positively expelling bone components. U.S. Pat. No.5,813,909 generally relates to a slotted separation chamber for acompression type deboning machine. The separation chamber may include aplurality of elongated slots.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is defined by the following claims, and nothingin this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to separation of meat such as, forexample, red meat, pork, poultry, and fish, from bone, cartilage orsinew, and to separation chambers usable with deboning machines toperform such separation.

In another aspect, a separation chamber for a compression-type deboningmachine is provided. The separation chamber includes a body defining aninternal cavity therein having a frusto-conical shape. A centrallongitudinal axis of the body extends from a first opening of the cavitynear a first end of the body to a second opening of the cavity near asecond end of the body. The first opening is larger than the secondopening. The separation chamber also includes a plurality ofperforations defined through the body from an inner surface of the bodyto an outer surface of the body. Each perforation includes a perforationaxis extending longitudinally through a center of the perforation. Theperforation axes of the plurality of perforations are transverse to aradial axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis ofthe body.

In a further aspect, a separation chamber for a compression-typedeboning machine is provided. The separation chamber includes a bodydefining an internal cavity therein having a frusto-conical shape. Theinternal cavity has a first opening near a first end of the body and asecond opening near a second end of the body with the first openingbeing larger than the second opening. The separation chamber alsoincludes a plurality of perforations defined through the body from aninner surface of the body to an outer surface of the body. Eachperforation includes a material inlet defined at the inner surface ofthe body and a material outlet defined at the outer surface of the body.The material inlet and the material outlet associated with one of theplurality of perforations are angularly offset from one another withrespect to a radial axis extending perpendicular to a centrallongitudinal axis of the body.

In still another aspect, a compression-type deboning machine is providedand includes an auger and a separation chamber. The auger is adapted torotate and includes at least one flute. The auger is adapted to movemeat connected to unwanted material from a feed end of the machinetoward a discharge end of the machine upon rotation of the auger. Theseparation chamber defines a plurality of perforations from an innersurface of the separation chamber to an outer surface of the separationchamber. The inner surface of the separation chamber defines afrusto-conical cavity that is adapted to receive the auger therein. Eachperforation defines a perforation axis extending longitudinally througha center of the perforation, and the perforation axes of the pluralityof perforations are transverse to a radial axis extending perpendicularto a central longitudinal axis of the separation chamber. The flute ofthe auger is adapted to cooperate with the separation chamber toseparate meat from unwanted material by moving meat and unwantedmaterial through the separation chamber with the meat passing into andthrough the plurality of perforations transversely to the radial axisand the unwanted material moving through the separation chamber alongthe central longitudinal axis of the separation chamber toward thedischarge end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary deboning machine takenalong a plane extending along a central longitudinal axis of thedeboning machine.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an exemplary separation chamber adapted to beused with the deboning machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of the separationchamber shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of the separationchamber shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the separation chambertaken from FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of the separationchamber shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the separation chambertaken from FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the separation chambertaken from FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a side view of another exemplary separation chamber adapted tobe used with the deboning machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of theseparation chamber shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of theseparation chamber shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the separation chambertaken from FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 of theseparation chamber shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of theseparation chamber shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged detail of the separation chamber taken from FIG.13.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a further exemplary separation chamber adaptedto be used with the deboning machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of theseparation chamber shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 18-18 of theseparation chamber shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the separation chambertaken from FIG. 17.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 20-20 of an exemplaryperforation of the separation chamber shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 21 is an end view of the separation chamber shown in FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With respect to FIG. 1, an exemplary deboning machine 20 is illustratedand includes a compression type conveyor screw or auger 22 that operatesin a perforated conduit and in close proximity to a perforatedfrustoconical separation chamber 25. Bone connected meat is communicatedfrom a feed end 26 of the machine 20 to a bone discharge end 28 of themachine 20. Separation chamber 25 includes a body 23 with acircumferential wall 24 defining an internal cavity adapted to receivethe auger 22 therein and a plurality of apertures or perforations 30defined in the wall 24. As rotation of the auger 22 moves meat and bonematerial past separation chamber 25 toward discharge end 28, meatseparated from the bone material passes radially through theperforations 30 in the separation chamber 25 and the remaining bonematerial is dispelled from the machine 20 proximate the bone dischargeend 28 of machine 20. In some exemplary embodiments, a valve ring 32 maysurround a downstream portion of the auger 22 in a manner creating aback pressure to provide a choke for controlling pressure within theseparation chamber 25, thereby controlling meat extrusion through theperforations 30 of the chamber 25.

The separation chamber 25 may be made of a variety of materials, suchas, for example, machined heavy duty stainless steel, that are adaptedto withstand high pressures associated with the deboning operation. Theperforations 30 extend between an inner surface 33 and an outer surface34 of the wall 24, and provide a plurality of sharp arcuate edges 35which, in cooperation with the fluted turns of the auger 22, function tostrip the meat from the bone or other unwanted material as the boneconnected meat moves progressively by the turns of the auger 22 from thefeed end 26 to the bone discharge end 28. In some instances, it isdesirable to have a coarser and improved texture of meat recovered frombone, cartilage, or sinew for use as a primary meat source and toprovide for separation of the meat from the underlying bone material tolimit the amount of calcium associated with bone particles allowed topass with the recovered meat from the separation chamber 25.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-8, an exemplary separation chamber 25A isillustrated. The separation chamber 25A illustrated in FIGS. 2-8 mayhave similarities to other separation chambers illustrated in thefigures and described herein, and like components have the samereference number and an “A”. The separation chamber 25A is adapted tooperationally cooperate with a compression type screw conveyor or auger22 of compression type deboning machines such as the machine 20 shown inFIG. 1.

Separation chamber 25A includes a plurality of mutually spaced-apartopenings or perforations 30A having a generally circular shape. In theillustrated exemplary embodiment, the perforations 30A lie in adjacentannular rows that extend about the circumference of the wall 24A of theseparation chamber 25A. The adjacent rows of perforations 30A may beoriented to either be aligned with one another or oriented so that acircumferential path or footprint associated with the perforations 30Aof one row overlap a circumferential path or footprint associated withan adjacent circumferential row of perforations 30A (as illustrated inFIGS. 2-8). It is further appreciated that perforations 30A may beprovided in a generally uniform pattern along the perforated portion ofthe separation chamber, or be provided with a non-uniform perforationpattern, such as separation chamber 25A, which includes a perforationpattern discontinuity 50A visible as a band in the perforation pattern.

Regardless of the specific orientation or patterning of the perforations30A, the perforations 30A of the separation chamber 25A are not normalto inner and outer surfaces 33A, 34A of the chamber 25A proximate theperforation 30A and are preferably oriented at oblique angles relativeto the direction of rotation of the auger 22 and the inner and outersurfaces 33A, 34A of the chamber 25A. Orienting perforations 30A in sucha non-normal orientation may provide a finished product having lowercalcium levels, which is indicative of less bone material being allowedto pass through the perforations 30A with the desired meat materials.The oblique orientation of the perforations 30A may reduce the “cheesegrater” effect on bone being moved past respective perforations 30Aduring rotation of auger 22, thereby reducing the amount of bone that iscapable of passing through perforations 30A.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-8, the perforations 30A associatedwith chamber 25A extend from the inner surface 33A to the outer surface34A of the chamber 25A. Each perforation 30A is defined as a passagethat has a material inlet opening 58A and a material discharge opening59A. A central longitudinal axis 60A of each perforation 30A (oneexemplary axis 60A shown in FIG. 3) is oriented in a transversedirection with respect to an axis 65A perpendicular to a centrallongitudinal axis 64A of the chamber 25A. In other words, the axes 60Aof all the perforations 30A are transverse or non-perpendicular to thecentral longitudinal axis 64A of the chamber 25A. The material inletopening 58A and the corresponding material discharge opening 59A of eachperforation 30A are angularly offset from one another with respect to across-section of the chamber 25A that is normal to the longitudinal axis64A of the chamber 25A. Said in another way, openings 58A, 59Aassociated with a respective perforation 30A are not concentricallyoriented relative to a common radian axis 65A that extends in a normalradial direction from the central longitudinal axis 64A of the chamber25A. The frustoconical chamber 25A includes a larger opening 61A in afirst end and a smaller opening 62A in a second end. The perforations30A angle toward the larger opening 61A of the chamber 25A such that thematerial discharge opening 59A of each perforation 30A is closer to thelarger opening 61A of the chamber 25A than its associated material inletopening 58A.

In some exemplary embodiments, the perforations 30A along an entirelongitudinal length of the chamber 25A may have a generally uniformoblique orientation. The increase in the oblique angle of the axes 60A,or the further the perforation 30A is from a normal orientation relativeto the inner and outer surfaces 33A, 34A of chamber 25A, allows theinteraction between the auger 22 and the chamber 25A, and the materialpassed there along, to reduce the incidence of cut bone material passedthrough the respective perforations 30A with the meat material. That is,rather than shearing the bone and pushing it into the meat productdirected through the perforations 30A, movement of the auger 22 past theobliquely oriented perforations 30A pulls a greater percentage of suchsheared bone fragments back into the chamber 25A such that the bonefragments can be dispelled with waste product rather than beingdischarged with the meat product. Accordingly, the chamber 25A mayprovide higher meat product yields with improved particle size and withlower bone or calcium content.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-15, another exemplary separation chamber 25B isillustrated. The separation chamber 25B illustrated in FIGS. 9-15 mayhave similarities to other separation chambers illustrated in thefigures and described herein, and like components have the samereference number and a “B”. The separation chamber 25B is adapted tooperationally cooperate with a compression type screw conveyor or auger22 of a compression type deboning machines such as the machine 20illustrated in FIG. 1.

The separation chamber 25B includes a plurality of apertures orperforations 30B defined through a wall 24B from an inner surface 33B toan outer surface 34B of the wall 24B. In the illustrated exemplaryembodiment, the perforations 30B have a different configuration than theperforations 30, 30A illustrated in FIGS. 1-8. More particularly, theperforations 30B include oblique angles defined by axes 66B that mayvary along the longitudinal length of the chamber 25B such that, forexample, a circumferential row of perforations 30B associated with thelarger opening 61B (or material intake end) of the chamber 25B may haveperforation axes 66B at a different oblique angle relative to a radialaxis 67B perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 64B of thechamber 25B than the axes 66B of a circumferential row of perforations30B at the smaller opening 62B (or bone discharge end) of the chamber25B. For instance, with reference to FIGS. 11 and 14, which correlate tonormal radial cross-sections of chamber 25B at sections 11-11 and 14-14taken from FIG. 9, the perforations 30B nearer the bone discharge end62B of chamber 25B are oriented at a greater oblique angle than thoseperforations 30B that are nearer the material intake end 61B of chamber25B. In one exemplary embodiment, the oblique angle 70B of therespective perforations 30B near the smaller opening 62B of chamber 25Bis about 26.8 degrees from the radial axis 67B (see FIG. 11) whereas, asshown in FIG. 14 near the intake end 61B of chamber 25B, the obliqueangle 70B of the respective perforations 30B is about 24.6 degrees fromthe radial axis 67B. In other exemplary embodiments, the chamber 25B maystart out with an oblique angle 70B of the perforations 30B at about 24°relative to the radial axis 67B located near the material intake end61B, such angles will alter along the length of the chamber 25B, and endup at about 27° relative to the radial axis 67B near the bone dischargeend 62B of the chamber 25B. It should be understood that theperforations 30B may have oblique angles that alter from one another atany degree, to any extent, begin and end at any degree, alter at anypattern or configuration between the beginning and end of theperforations 30B, and all of such possibilities are intended to bewithin the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

In some aspects, manipulating the obliqueness of the respectiveperforations manipulates interaction of the respective perforations, theauger, and the material being processed that is passed there along.

Referring now to FIGS. 16-21, a further exemplary separation chamber 25Cis illustrated. The separation chamber 25C illustrated in FIGS. 16-21may have similarities to other separation chambers illustrated in thefigures and described herein, and like components have the samereference number and a “C”. The separation chamber 25C is adapted tooperationally cooperate with a compression type screw conveyor or auger22 of a compression type deboning machines such as the machine 20illustrated in FIG. 1.

The separation chamber 25C includes a plurality of apertures orperforations 30C defined through a wall 24C from an inner surface 33C toan outer surface 34C of the wall 24C. In the illustrated exemplaryembodiment, the perforations 30C have a different configuration than theperforations 30, 30A, 30B illustrated in FIGS. 1-15. More particularly,the perforations 30C of separation chamber 25C are oblong or elongatedin one direction more than in another direction to generally form slots30C. As shown in FIG. 18, the perforations 30C include axes 71C and arestill obliquely oriented with respect to radial axes 72C that extendperpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 64C of the chamber 25C.In other words, the perforations 30C are oriented in a counterrotational orientation as shown in FIG. 18. Also in the illustratedexemplary embodiment, the perforations 30C include material inletopenings 58C defined in the inner surface 33C of the wall 24C andmaterial discharge openings 59C defined in the outer surface 34C of thewall 24C. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the material inletopening 58C and material discharge opening 59C of each perforation 30Care not aligned with each other and do not lie in a common planeextending generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 64Cof the chamber 25C. Moreover, the material discharge opening 59C of eachperforation 30C is located nearer the intake end 61C of chamber 25C thanthe material inlet opening 58C of the same perforation 30C. Eachperforation 30C is canted or pitched in a direction toward the intakeend 61C of the chamber 25C as it extends in an outward radial directionfrom the central longitudinal axis 64C. This concept of the perforations30C can be demonstrated with reference to FIG. 17 whereby eachperforation 30C includes an axis 73C that is obliquely orientatedrelative to a radial axis 74C extending perpendicular to the centrallongitudinal axis 64C of the chamber 25C. It is further appreciated thatthe elongated perforations 30C are not longitudinally aligned with thecentral longitudinal axis 64C of the chamber 25C, but instead extendtransversely to the central longitudinal axis 64C. With reference toFIGS. 16 and 19, an exemplary longitudinal axis 75C of one of theperforations 30C is illustrated and extends transverse to the centrallongitudinal axis 64C.

In some exemplary embodiments, the perforations 30C as a whole maydefine a maximum perforation pattern area having a length of about 4.90inches defined from a circumferential row of perforations 30C nearestthe material intake end 61C to a circumferential row of perforations 30Cnearest the bone discharge end 62C of the chamber 25C. In some exemplaryembodiments, each perforation 30C may include a width ranging from about0.02 to about 0.10 inches, and a length ranging from about 0.125 toabout 1.75 inches. As shown in FIGS. 16-20, each elongated perforation30C comprises a pair of spaced apart side walls, and opposing arcuateend walls. The side walls and end walls respectively define innerelongated side edges and arcuate end edges that are presented to theturns of the auger 22. Unlike conventional separation chamberconfigurations, the end walls of the perforations 30C are notperpendicular to the inner surface 33C of the separation chamber wall24C, but instead are canted, pitched, or oriented at an angle relativethereto. Similarly to the separation chambers 25A, 25B, it should beunderstood that the shape, size, and orientation of perforations 30C maybe alternatively configured to provide different zones along thelongitudinal length of chamber 25C wherein the respective zones providedifferent choke and/or operating pressures to manipulate the yield ofthe separated meat as the product advances from the feed or intake end61C of the chamber 25C toward the waste or bone discharge end 62C of theseparation chamber 25C.

It should also be understood that separation chambers of the presentdisclosure may include perforations of a variety of differentorientations, shapes, spacing, etc., to satisfy a wide variety ofrequirements, applications, raw or input material quality, desiredfinish product characteristics and quality, etc., and all of suchpossibilities are intended to be within the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

Separation chambers 25-25C disclosed herein may be used with existingdeboning machines or may be adapted to new design equipment. Theperforations 30-30C, being concentric or elongated, can have a varietyof shapes and sizes. For example, perforations 30-30C may range fromabout 0.02 inches to about 0.10 inches in width and about 0.125 inchesto about 1.75 inches in length when provided as an elongated slot.Regardless of the shape, size, and configuration of the perforations30-30C, the perforations 30-30C extend through the respective wall24-24C of the respective chamber 25-25C in directions that are notnormal to the inner and outer surfaces 33-33C, 34-34C of the chamber25-25C. The degree with which the perforations 30-30C deviate from thevarious radial axes of the chambers may be any extent and, in someinstances, the degree of deviation may increase, for example, as theperforations 30-30C are formed nearer the bone discharge end 62C of thechamber 25-25C.

It should further be understood that the perforations 30-30C may extendthrough the wall of the chambers 25-25C at any angle relative to thevarious radial axes 60A, 67B, 72C, 74C and may have any shape, size,spacing, etc. Moreover, the perforations 30-30C may be manufactured inany number of manners such as, for example, laser cut, step drilled,etc. It should still further be understood that the shape, size, andspacing of perforations 30A-30C may be manipulated in a number ofmanners to provide a desired finish product, such as, for example, 3 mmground meat, to provide a desired finish product according to the typeof meat to be separated and/or the skeletal part(s) to be processed,etc.

The Abstract of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claimsare hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

While various embodiments of the disclosure have been described, it willbe apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodimentsand implementations are possible within the scope of the disclosure.Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be restricted except in light ofthe attached claims and their equivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A separation chamber for a compression-typedeboning machine, the separation chamber comprising: a body defining aninternal cavity therein having a frusto-conical shape, wherein a centrallongitudinal axis of the body extends from a first opening of the cavitynear a first end of the body to a second opening of the cavity near asecond end of the body, wherein the first opening is larger than thesecond opening; and a plurality of perforations defined through the bodyfrom an inner surface of the body to an outer surface of the body,wherein each perforation includes a perforation axis extendinglongitudinally through a center of the perforation; wherein theperforation axes of the plurality of perforations are transverse to aradial axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis ofthe body.
 2. The separation chamber of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofperforations are formed in circumferential rows around a portion of alongitudinal length of the body.
 3. The separation chamber of claim 2,wherein adjacent circumferential rows of perforations overlap eachother.
 4. The separation chamber of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectiontaken through one of the perforations along a plane perpendicular to theperforation axis is generally circular in shape.
 5. The separationchamber of claim 1, wherein a cross-section taken through one of theperforations along a plane perpendicular to the perforation axis iselongated in shape.
 6. A separation chamber for a compression-typedeboning machine, the separation chamber comprising: a body defining aninternal cavity therein having a frusto-conical shape, wherein theinternal cavity has a first opening near a first end of the body and asecond opening near a second end of the body with the first openingbeing larger than the second opening; and a plurality of perforationsdefined through the body from an inner surface of the body to an outersurface of the body, wherein each perforation includes a material inletdefined at the inner surface of the body and a material outlet definedat the outer surface of the body; wherein the material inlet and thematerial outlet associated with one of the plurality of perforations areangularly offset from one another with respect to a radial axisextending perpendicular to a central longitudinal axis of the body. 7.The separation chamber of claim 6, wherein all pairs of material inletsand material outlets are angularly offset from one another with respectto the radial axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinalaxis of the body.
 8. The separation chamber of claim 6, wherein theplurality of perforations are formed in circumferential rows around aportion of a longitudinal length of the body, and wherein adjacentcircumferential rows of perforations overlap each other.
 9. Theseparation chamber of claim 6, wherein the material inlet and materialoutlet are generally circular in shape.
 10. The separation chamber ofclaim 6, wherein the material inlet and the material outlet areelongated in shape.
 11. The separation chamber of claim 6, wherein thematerial outlet is closer to the first end of the body than the materialinlet.
 12. The separation chamber of claim 6, wherein the material inletis closer to the first end of the body than the material outlet.
 13. Acompression-type deboning machine comprising: an auger adapted to rotateand including at least one flute, wherein the auger is adapted to movemeat connected to unwanted material from a feed end of the machinetoward a discharge end of the machine upon rotation of the auger; and aseparation chamber defining a plurality of perforations from an innersurface of the separation chamber to an outer surface of the separationchamber, wherein the inner surface of the separation chamber defines afrusto-conical cavity that is adapted to receive the auger therein,wherein each perforation defines a perforation axis extendinglongitudinally through a center of the perforation, and wherein theperforation axes of the plurality of perforations are transverse to aradial axis extending perpendicular to a central longitudinal axis ofthe separation chamber; wherein the flute of the auger is adapted tocooperate with the separation chamber to separate meat from unwantedmaterial by moving meat and unwanted material through the separationchamber with the meat passing into and through the plurality ofperforations transversely to the radial axis and the unwanted materialmoving through the separation chamber along the central longitudinalaxis of the separation chamber toward the discharge end.
 14. Thecompression-type deboning machine of claim 13, wherein the plurality ofperforations are formed in circumferential rows around a portion of alongitudinal length of the body.
 15. The compression-type deboningmachine of claim 14, wherein adjacent circumferential rows ofperforations overlap each other.
 16. The compression-type deboningmachine of claim 13, wherein a cross-section taken through one of theperforations along a plane perpendicular to the perforation axis isgenerally circular in shape.
 17. The compression-type deboning machineof claim 13, wherein a cross-section taken through one of theperforations along a plane perpendicular to the perforation axis iselongated in shape.